Tuesday, January 21, 2014

I have been playing Minecraft for about two years, so I wanted to write a "review" of it, and explain what it is about. Minecraft is a three dimensional block-like game, where you can build whatever you want and mine blocks from dirt to diamonds. It is like LEGO except it's first person and on the computer.

There are four difficulty modes: Peaceful, Easy, Normal, and Hard. Peaceful mode is where the player cannot starve, so food is not needed, and monsters such as zombies will not spawn. Houses don't serve a purpose. It is very simple to be a nomad on Peaceful. In Easy mode, the players' hunger meter goes down very slowly, and monsters do not spawn as often as in more difficult modes. They are also weak.

Normal is the default mode. When the player first gets the game, the difficulty is set to Normal, but you can change it whenever you want. Everything happens at a normal rate. Monsters don't under-spawn or excessively spawn. The hunger meter drains at a normal pace. Hard is where monsters are beefed up to the max, and they spawn almost everywhere and very quickly. I usually play on Normal because I find it the most legit. It allows me to build whatever I want with my resources and my imagination, while fighting evil monsters.

There are also four game modes: Survival, Hardcore, Creative, and Adventure. Survival is where the player survives by building a house, mining for ores, and killing the Wither and Ender Dragon (boss monsters). Hardcore is Survival, but locked on Hard difficulty. As I mentioned above, the player can always change the difficulty except for in Hardcore mode. The player also only gets one life rather than infinite number. I think it is safe to say, YOLO (You Only Live Once). When the player dies playing Hardcore, he/she cannot re-spawn. He/She must delete the world.

Creative is where flying is enabled, the player has unlimited building blocks, and the player cannot die. This is a game mode where the player can invoke their creative side, and build whatever they wish. Adventure mode is Survival, but the player cannot break blocks. This mode is used for Adventure maps, where creative players create story-based worlds in which others players can play. This allows the builders' creations to preserved.

Creeper

Zombie

Wither (Boss Mob)

Enderman with Grass Block

There are five basic monsters that are in the Overworld, which is the basic realm. They are the Creeper, Zombie, Skeleton, Cave Spider, and Spider. These are the base monsters that can ultimately be the player's downfall. For instance, the player is building a bridge across a cliff, and does not see a zombie. The zombie hits the player of the bridge and the player dies. Otherwise, the monsters can be pretty easy to beat. There is one other monster, which is special, in the Overworld, the Slime. It is special because it was very different abilities than the other monsters. It spawns very deep underground and in swamp biomes. Slimes are not very dangerous but good to know about.

Ender Dragon (Boss Mob)

Cave Spider

Spider

Skeleton

Slime

The most dangerous monster (in my opinion) does not duel in the Overworld, but in the End realm. It is the Enderman. It can teleport and will be aggravated if it is looked in the eye. They are perhaps the deadliest monster ever implemented in the game.

There is no limit to where you can mine. Mining gives the player the resources to create buildings and craft armor and weapons. Diamonds are the strongest material and the more diamonds, the better :D!

Minecraft is a very creative game. It is very challenging with no limit! The player can plan, design, build, and fight. You can also create multiple worlds. I think it is one of the best games ever created!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Continuing the theme of Doctor Who, I would like to introduce my: favorite alien, nicest alien, scariest alien, coolest alien, and why that is my opinion.

My most favorite alien is the Dalek. The Daleks are mutant Kaleds which came from the planet Skaro. They believe that they are the most supreme race in the universe. They want to kill everybody else and are the Doctor's greatest enemies. They cry, "EX-TER-MINATE," when they want to kill something. I wonder what it would sound like in a war. It must sound like a bunch of "EX-TER-MINATE" overlapping. No wonder everyone is scared of them. They fought the Time Lords in the Great Time Wars and both species were almost completely obliterated. The Daleks are octopus like creatures and are in shells that resemble salt and pepper shakers. They have an telescope that lets them see. They also have a machine that looks like a toilet plunger that can scramble codes and do other miscellaneous things. Their weapon looks like a whisker that is shoots laser beams. They are my favorite because they seem very mischievous and mildly cute.

I think the scariest alien in Doctor Who is the Weeping Angel, which also fits in the category of the nicest alien. When they are being observed, they cease to exist. They turn into stone until they are no longer observed. This defense mechanism makes them immune to weapons of all kind. When they are not seen, they travel at unnatural speeds. If they touch someone on the back of the neck, the victim is sent back in time to live out their life. I cannot put a picture in this blog post because an image of a Weeping Angel is a Weeping Angel. It will hop out of your computer screen and gobble you up. They are the scariest alien because they look extremely terrifying. They are also the nicest alien because they don't gruesomely maim you until you die. So if you see a Weeping Angel, don't turn your back, don't look away, and DON'T BLINK.

I think the coolest alien in Doctor Who is the Silents. They are professional priests of the Papal Mainframe. The Papal Mainframe is a spaceship church that has security to keep you safe in this world and the next. When you see the Silents, you can remember them, but when you look away you can't. In the episode: The Impossible Astronaut they are first introduced and are referred to throughout season 6. In season 6, Madame Kovarian gathers renegade people from the Papal Mainframe including some renegade Silents to try and kill the Doctor leading to the statement, Silence will fall. in The Time of the Doctor, normal Silents help the Doctor fight the Daleks. They are good aliens and bad aliens. I think they are the coolest because they can absorb energy and shoot it from their hands. They can also use post-hypnotic suggestion to control people. They are around seven feet tall with bulbous heads and they wear black twentieth century suits and ties.

These are my top aliens from Doctor Who. If you want, you can tell me who your favorite aliens are from Doctor Who!

EZ-Boy's Bio

I am in High School. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am fluent in English and Chinese. I am learning Latin right now. I love to learn, write, and play video games. I currently play the piano and fence.